Shi Ding
Ph.D. Candidate · Georgia Institute of Technology
Expressive Machinery Lab · Advised by Dr. Brian Magerko
About
I’m Shi Ding (Stella), a Ph.D. student at the Expressive Machinery Lab at Georgia Tech, advised by Dr. Brian Magerko. I’m dedicated to building the next generation of co-created digital systems that are both strategic and accessible. My research spans LLM agent design and development, expressive and responsible AI in education, and the creation of UX, policy, and evaluation frameworks for generative AI applications that simplify daily tasks.
Supported by NSF funding, I currently work as the research design lead for the NSF-funded EarSketch platform—a music programming tool that has engaged over 1.5 million learners in coding. My research bridges language models with human-centered design and accessibility to create responsible AI systems that amplify human creativity and agency. I connect research and real-world impact through my roles as an educator, instructional designer, and cognitive scientist.
Highlights & Achievements
- Presentation: Ding et al. (2025).Rethinking AI Evaluation with TEACH-AI: A Benchmark and Toolkit for Educational AI Systems, Accepted to the NeurIPS ResponsibleFM workshop (2025)
- Media Feature: “Rethinking AI in Learning: Inclusive Design, Responsible Impact,” featured by TSQATL Media & the University Financing Foundation.(2025).
- Invited: Disability and Access in Tech and AI Summit at Cornell University & Cornell Tech (2025).
- Reviewer: NeurIPS (2025), SIGCSE (2026), and Cognitive Science Society (2025).
- Publication: Smith, Ding, et al. (2025). Using co-design to investigate affordances of an expressive CS learning environment for BVI learners. Accepted to ACM ASSETS 2025.
- Publication: Ding et al. (2025). Considering Large Language Model Integrations in Expressive CS Learning Environments for BVI Learners Through Co-design. Accepted to AIED 2025.
- Publication: Ding et al. (2024). Redesigning EarSketch for Inclusive CS Education: A Participatory Design Approach. Presented at ACM IDC 2024 and CHI Workshop 2024.
- Co-founder & Awardee: Deeproject AI, Quadrant-i Startup $10K Grant, Georgia Tech (2025 summer).
- Poster Judge: InterfaceNeuro Symposium, Georgia Tech (2025).
- Passed Ph.D. Qualifying Exam: Georgia Tech (2025).
- Winner: CRIDC Poster Competition, Georgia Tech (2025): “Promoting Creativity of BVI Learners in EarSketch Through Co-Design.”
- Research Intern: Graspy AI (2024).
- Best Project Award: CS 6460 Educational Technology, Georgia Tech (2024).